Alton Academy
by T.C LaBelle
Summary: After her father accepts a teaching position at a prestigious music and arts school in London, Blossom Utonium becomes the newest student at Alton Academy, where the acting onstage is nothing compared for the drama that occurs outside of class.
1. Welcome To Alton Academy

_New story! I will try to update this story as quickly as possible while the idea is still fresh in my mind :) Don't forget to review :)_

 **Disclaimer:** Nope. I don't own the PowerPuff Girls.

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 **Chapter One:** _Welcome To Alton Academy_

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An excerpt from one of Blossom Utonium's highly celebrated novels, _Autumn Showers_.

 _ **"My first day at my new school should have been a warning. I should have turned around and walked right out those huge double doors the moment I stepped in. But damn it... I stayed."**_

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The boy hefted the knife in his hand and grinned wickedly.

"Your time's up, sweetheart. Now, you die."

He advanced on the girl cowering on the ground. Her eyes were wide, and she was paralyzed with fear.

"No," she whimpered "No, please!"

The boy took no notice. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head back, exposing her bare neck. She shrieked in terror and flailed wildly.

"No, don't! Stop it! Stop!"

He grinned again.

"Lights out."

In one swift motion, he slit her throat. Her scream was cut short and faded to a gurgle. The boy let her body fall to the floor with a thud. He nudged the corpse with his foot, and nodded in satisfaction. He dropped the knife and slowly walked off, back into the shadows. There was silence for a moment.

"…And scene!"

The boy re-entered and the girl stood up. They high-fived each other and hopped off the stage. They walked back to their seats amid the applause of their classmates. A young man in his mid twenties stood up from his seat in the front row and turned to face the class.

"James, Rachel, nicely done. Very intense and… violent."

A few of the guys hooted in approval.

"Yes, yes, you're savages. You should be proud."

The class laughed at his sarcasm, and he cracked a smile.

"Alright, everyone who hasn't presented yet will go tomorrow. The bell rings in five minutes. Do as you please for the rest of the period. As long as it's legal."

"What?" one boy called in protest from the back row.

"Quiet down, Felix." He responded.

"Aw, c'mon Asher! Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Felix, the next time you call me by my first name, I _swear_ I'll have you scalped." Despite his words, his bright blue eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Right on, Mr. H!" The boy laughed and thrust his fist in the air. The teacher rolled his eyes and shook his head. The kids all began talking amidst themselves.

Just then, one of the double doors swung open and a girl poked her head into the room. The teacher noticed her first.

"Ah, you must be Blossom Utonium, if I'm not mistaken? Come on in, we don't bite. Much."

The rest of the class chuckled and turned to look at the new girl.

Her hair was a very light brown, almost auburn colored, and pulled back in a loose ponytail. A few strands of hair had fallen out of the ponytail, and fell into her face. She had on the school uniform- a plain white button down shirt beneath a dark blue blazer that had the school's crest on the left breast, complete with a dark blue school skirt. Her red school tie hung perfectly around her neck. A worn, black messenger bag was slung over her shoulder. To the dismay of the male population of the class, she wore a baggy brown cardigan sweater underneath her blazer that completely covered any curves that she had.

She stepped into the room, letting the door swing shut behind her. She walked down the center aisle to the front of the class, her black shoes making no sound against the faded reddish carpet. The young man held his hand out to her, and she shook it.

"I'm Asher Honeycutt, Theatre Director here at Alton. I'll get you caught up on all you need to know tomorrow, because this period ends in-" he glanced at his watch "-eight seconds. " As one, the kids began to yell a countdown.

"…Six…Five…Four…Three…Two…One!"

The second they called out the last number, as if on cue, the bell rang. They cheered, gathered their things, and headed up the aisles and out of the theatre. Several guys tried to approach Blossom, but she just smiled politely and ducked past them.

She pushed open the heavy, polished wood door and slipped into the main hallway. She looked around, bewildered by the hive of activity. Kids ran around, laughing and talking loudly. Lockers slammed, people shouted across the hall to each other, and one kid was playing a saxophone. In the hallway. A few guys were break dancing, and one girl on a skateboard ollied down a flight of stairs. Another bell rang, and the mob all moved in the same direction; upstairs. Blossom followed and soon found herself swept up in the wave of kids. The next thing she knew, she was outside.

She blinked as the bright sunlight stung her eyes. Up ahead was a winding cobblestone pathway that led to the fountain in the center of the academy. Fortunately, the crowd had thinned out and she could see her surroundings. And breathe again. To one side of the academy, she could make out three huge gray stone buildings. Dorms. Great. She took a deep breath before heading towards them.

Blossom hated the idea of dorms. Having to live in a small space with three or four other girls… she shuddered. She's had roommates before, and they'd all turned out to be bitches. She didn't have very high hopes for this place, either.

Blossom had reached the dorm buildings. She stopped next to a sign that read, 'Welcome to the Alton Academy of Music and the Arts'. She looked up at the stone buildings looming over her. Above the doorway of each building was a large crest etched into the stone. On the building to the left, the crest was a fish clamped between the jaws of a bear. The crest of the building in the middle, dead ahead, was that of fierce dragon with a diamond clenched in one claw and a skull in another. Blossom made her way to the building on the far right. She glanced up at the crest. It was an owl grasping a scroll in its talons. Blossom nodded to herself. It was simple, elegant. She pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The dorm was significantly cooler in temperature than the weather outside. She figured it was probably air-conditioned. There wasn't much to see downstairs. In fact, there wasn't really a downstairs at all. There was a narrow, winding set of stairs carved from stone, but that was pretty much it. Blossom climbed the stairs.

At the top, they opened into a much bigger room. There was a large flat-screen television mounted on the left wall, a few feet away from a large beige couch. The floor was covered in thick, dark blue carpet. A mini-fridge was pushed up against the far wall, opposite the stairs, right next to a large window. A hallway branched off from there. Blossom assumed that led to the bedrooms. Another couch, this one smaller than the other and white in color, was pushed up against the right wall. It faced a pool table. The table was in good condition; it looked as if it had barely been used. Resting on the top of the table was a little plush white owl.

She smiled at the sight of it.

Here she was in a dorm full of high school girls, and one of them had a little stuffed owl. She reached out to touch it, but she never got the chance. Someone came up behind her, grabbed her shoulder roughly and spun her around. She just barely had time to register the girl's face before she hauled back and punched Blossom in hers.

 **~End Of Chapter~**

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 **Please, please, please review :) Feedback is always welcome :)**

 **T.C out ;)**


	2. The Unprovoked Attack

_A special thank you to everyone who reviewed,followed,favorited and just plain viewed this story :)_

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 _ **Chapter Two:** The Unprovoked Attack_

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Blossom managed to twist her head to the side at the last possible second, so the girl's fist collided with her jaw rather than her face. Blossom was backed up against the pool table, with nowhere to go as the girl swung again. In one swift movement, she dropped to the ground, rolled to the side, and quickly got to her feet. The girl turned and lunged at her. Blossom neatly sidestepped and stuck out her leg, tripping the girl.

The girl slowly got back to her feet and turned to face her. The two girls were at opposite ends of the room. They glared at each other, each waiting for the other to make the next move.

At that moment, several other girls entered the room. They stopped short at the sight of the two girls. They knew the look of rage in their roommate's eyes all too well.

"BC, what's going on?" one asked.

Blossom got her first good look at the other girl. She had jet black hair pulled back in a loose bun, and her eyes were a light shade of green. She too had on the school uniform, but instead of the allowed school shoes, she had on green Chuck Taylor's.

"This punk was goin' for Theo," BC answered, never taking her eyes off of Blossom.

Blossom laughed in disbelief.

"Are you _kidding_ me? I wasn't trying to take your stupid stuffed animal!"

"Then what're you doing here?" BC asked coldly, narrowing her eyes.

"Well this is a school, where you go to learn. And this is a dorm, where you go to live and sleep, last I checked."

"BC, we're supposed to be getting another roommate, remember? This is probably her," a voice said quietly. BC looked at the dark-haired girl who had spoken. She walked across the room, past Blossom, until she was face-to-face with the girl. The girl quickly dropped her gaze to stare at the carpet beneath her feet. Her long, straight hair fell into her face, hiding it from view. BC, who was much taller than the girl, looked down at her scornfully.

"Did I ask you?" her voice was barely audible, but the note of utter loathing was unmistakable. The girl made no response. She just stared at the ground, unblinking. BC looked as if she was about to strike the girl. Fortunately, one of the other girls piped up,

"She's right, BC. We got a letter a few days ago saying we'd be getting a new roommate." BC stepped away from the dark-haired girl and turned back to face Blossom.

"What's your name?" she asked gruffly.

"Blossom. Blossom Utonium."

After a moment's silence, BC nodded.

"Alright. Then I guess… I guess I'm sorry for, y'know-"

"Punching me in the face? What the hell was that for?" Blossom interrupted, her glare still in place.

"That owl," she pointed at the stuffed animal "Is our house mascot. The other houses have been known to try and steal him, so I thought you were one of 'em."

Blossom rubbed her jaw where BC had punched her. The other girl smiled and walked over to her. She threw her arm over Blossom's shoulders.

"I'm Buttercup Hollander. Call me BC. Y'know, you got guts. You put up a good fight. Most kids would just curl up in a ball an' cry, or some pathetic crap like that. I think we'll get along just fine."

Blossom allowed herself a small smile. One thing she'd learned about fighting; unless you lost, you earned your opponent's respect. BC was clearly no exception to the rule.

"So, what d'ya think? Stick with me, and this'll be an easy year for you." Blossom opened her mouth to say yes. It would make things so much easier for her. BC was one of the top dogs in the school's hierarchy of popularity, that much was obvious. Blossom would gain instant admittance into the cool crowd. She wouldn't have to worry about all the shit she'd have to put up with like at her old school- not that she wasn't liked there. But something made her hesitate. She glanced at the dark-haired girl. BC noticed and smirked at the girl.

"Yeah, you won't have to worry about the likes of her. Bottom of the trash heap, useless, lame as they come. You'll never have to so much as look at her. Unless she pisses us off, that is." She spoke to Blossom, but the remark was aimed at the dark-haired girl, who lowered her eyes to the floor once more. Several of the other girls snickered. That made up Blossom's mind. She stepped away from BC.

"I think I'll pass, thanks."

Everyone in the room caught their breath. It took a second for BC to absorb Blossom's words. Her smile faded.

"What?"

"You heard me."

BC was speechless.

"But- I'm- you can't- the- " she spluttered. Finally, with a growl, she turned on her heel and stalked off down the stairs. A few seconds later, the girls all heard the door open and slam shut. There was silence for a moment. Then the girls all crowded around Blossom to welcome her.

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Hours later, Blossom stepped outside of the dorm. She needed some fresh air. The sun was starting to go down, and the sky, formerly bright blue, was light gray in color. None of the other kids were outside. She could see a mailbox a couple of feet in front of her and wondered how she hadn't seen it when she first arrived. She shrugged, and turned to head back inside when she saw someone sitting a few feet away to her right. She realized it was the dark-haired girl from earlier. She walked up to her.

"Mind if I join you?"

The girl, who had been lost in thought, startled. She looked up at Blossom and nodded quickly.

"Yeah! I mean, no! No, I don't mind. I mean -"

Blossom laughed.

"Calm down, I'm not Buttercup. I'm not gonna beat you up or anything."

"Oh. Oh, ok." The girl relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. They sat in silence for several minutes, watching as the sky grew darker. The girl brushed the dirt from her black leggings off, and smoothed out the black-and-yellow floral print dress she wore over them. Finally, she broke the silence.

"Why?"

Blossom's brow furrowed slightly.

"Why what?"

"Why'd you… why'd you turn BC down?"

Blossom leaned back against the dorm building. She didn't answer right away.

"I've been to a couple of schools and I've met a lot of kids like BC. I don't like them. Yeah, it's easier to just go along with them, but… I can't stand by and watch other kids get beat up and picked on by kids I hang out with."

The other girl nodded slowly.

"That's… that's very impressive. Most kids wouldn't be that noble."

"Well, most kids don't get punched in the face for staring at a stuffed animal. So I guess I'm not like most kids."

The girl laughed.

"I guess not. I'm Susie. Susie Jenkins."

"Blossom Utonium. How long've you been going to school here?"

"Three years. I started here in my freshman year."

"Do you like it?"

Susie hesitated before answering.

"Mostly."

She got up and wiped the dirt off the back of her dress, looking down at Blossom with a small smile.

Just then, a shadowy figure appeared and tackled Susie, pulling them both down to the hard ground and causing them to roll a couple of times.

Susie screamed.

 **~End Of Chapter~**

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 **Once again, thank you so much. You guys are amazing :)**

 **R &R!**

 **T.C**


	3. You Gotta Open Up More

**Thank you once again :) Responding time! (Reviews for the first two chapters)**

 **Guest:** Buttercup isn't necessarily the bad guy, her and Blossom just got off on the wrong foot. I hate to say it, but I'm pretty sure you'll end up hating the story. And that's okay. Blossom and BC might not end up as besties, their 'friendship' is pretty rocky at this point. Thank you for your review though :) it really means a lot.

 **blossom782:** Your review brought a smile to my face. Aww, really? Haha thank you so much.

 **MetallicalyLove:** Trust me, the name 'Susie' rubs me the wrong way haha. But I was looking up characters in the PPG and I found 'Susie Jenkins'. I may have cringed. It does sound pretty childish to me, so I've added a little piece of information in this chapter that'll hopefully make her character be taken more seriously. Hopefully. Haha. Thank you for your review.

 **Ash141:** Thank you for your review. I also want to thank you for liking my other story too. You da shit :) oh, and just between you and me, I think Blossom's middle name is Trouble. Haha.

 **MetallicalyLove:** Again, thanksssss :)

 **Sofaria:** First reviewer! That means you're special so your review's last. Thank you so much. It means so much to me that you like the story. Hopefully, that won't be your last review.

 _A/N: I've never actually read a powerpuff girls story that included most of the minor characters, like Susie Jenkins ;) This story will, so I hope people don't go 'WTF' when they read future chapters._

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 _ **Chapter Three:** You Gotta Open Up More_

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Blossom jumped to her feet, but by that time Susie and her attacker were already walking back to her. Susie was brushing dirt and grass off of her clothes.

"My God, Mitchelson, don't do that!"

It was dark, and Blossom couldn't make out anything about the figure beside Susie, except that he was several inches taller than her. Then the two stepped into a beam of moonlight. The boy was laughing, his gray eyes twinkling with amusement. He had dark brown quiff styled hair. He wore faded jeans and a plain white t-shirt that was now dirty.

Susie sighed and turned to Blossom.

"Blossom, this idiot is Mitch Mitchelson. Mitch, Blossom."

"Nice to meet you, Mitch."

Mitch gave Blossom a flamboyant bow.

"No, my good lady, the pleasure is all mine!"

Blossom laughed.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that you're at Alton for theatre?"

Mitch feigned mock astonishment.

"What? How ever could you have guessed?" Unable to keep a straight face, he broke into a grin. He looked to Susie, who was still standing beside him. He stuck his tongue out at her playfully.

"Gotcha."

She lunged at him, trying to slap him upside the head, but he ducked out of the way.

"Oh, shut up."

He grinned again.

"You thought it was Jojo, didn't you?"

"Well, considering it was an asshole thing to do, and he's the king of the assholes, yeah. It seemed probable."

"Who- who's Jojo?" Blossom asked. Susie sighed.

"Brick Jojo. He's your stereotypical arrogant, conceited, self-absorbed sports star. He's head of the baseball team."

"And he's madly in love with Jett," Mitch interjected. This time, Susie succeeded in smacking him.

"Wait, what? Who's Jett?" Blossom asked, clearly confused.

Mitch merely motioned his thumb towards Susie, with an equally confused look on his face.

Susie sighed.

"That'll be me. Jett Susie Jenkins."

Blossom nodded slowly. "Oh, so should I call you Jett or Susie?"

Susie, or rather _Jett,_ shrugged.

"I don't mind."

Blossom nodded before something else came to mind. She turned to Mitch.

"You said basketball?" Blossom asked, "I didn't know the school had sports teams."

"We don't. But a bunch of the kids have formed their own teams. The school doesn't fund them, but all of us recognize them as legitimate teams," Mitch explained. "We've got soccer, baseball, and fencing. We're working on a Quidditch team too."

Blossom raised an eyebrow.

"Quidditch? As in Harry Potter, flying-around-on-brooms-and-beating-the-shit-out-of-each-other-with-clubs Quidditch?"

"Yup. Well, without the flying part. But we're keeping the beating-each-other-with-sticks-and-giant-balls part."

All three of them laughed.

"What house are you in, Blossom?" Mitch asked.

"Uh…" Blossom looked to Jett.

"She's in Noctua with me." Jett answered. "Mitch's in the Ursidae house. The one in the middle, with the dragon crest, is Draco. Most girls are in Noctua, like us, and most guys are in Ursidae. Draco is the biggest building. The girls and guys have separate wings. Draco is for the spoiled kids whose parents are millionaires-"

"Or billionaires," Mitch chimed in.

"-And demand that their little angels receive only the best in housing."

Blossom nodded.

"Got it."

Mitch opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Instead, he yawned.

"Well, I'm gonna head back in. I'll catch up with you guys tomorrow." He waved good-bye and strode off toward the Ursidae dorm. Jett watched him for a few moments before turning back to Blossom.

"So, Jett, what're you here for?"

"Writing. Script writing. It's not exactly a performing art, but they offer it here anyway."

"Yeah, I figured you for a writer."

Jett blinked in surprise.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You come off as the quiet, reserved, always deep in thought type. With the exception of the verbal thrashings you probably give Mitch."

Jett gave a faint smile.

"I guess. I'm not all that shy, actually. I just don't warm up to people very quickly. I've got Mitch, but that's about it."

"I dunno, you seemed to warm up to me easily enough."

Jett considered Blossom's words for a moment.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I did."

Blossom nudged her with her elbow.

"See? You just gotta open up a bit more. So, are you and Mitch-"

"Oh, no," Jett said quickly. "No, we're not dating we're just best friends, that's all. Just best friends."

"But you're in love with him."

Jett stopped breathing and stared at Blossom, eyes wide with alarm.

"It's that obvious?"

"No, no, of course not. I've been in that situation. I saw how you looked at him. I know what it feels like. And besides, Mitch doesn't quite seem to be the super observant type. I don't think you have to worry about him figuring it out."

Relieved, Jett started heading to the dorm building's door, Blossom right next to her.

"So you know what it's like?"

"Yeah."

"It sucks."

"Yeah. But I dunno, he might like you back."

Jett sighed and shook her head firmly.

"No, he's been pining after another girl for the past two years."

"Who?"

The girls had reached the Noctua dorm front door. Jett paused, her hand on the doorknob.

In a small voice, she whispered:

"Her name is Anita. Anita Hollander. She's BC's sister."

 **~End Of Chapter~**

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 **Sure short chapter, I know. Sorry.**

 **Anyway, the next chapter will definitely kick off the actual plot of the story, so stay tuned.**

 **Just wondering, is the pace of the updates good? Or slow?**

 **R &R!**

 **T.C**


	4. All Types Of Teachers

**Thankyou everyone! You're all awesome :)**

 **(Chapter three reviews responding time!)**

 **blossom782:** Hmm... Blossom and Brick. Will only be friends. Totally... Bahah I'm kidding. Of course they'll up together! Maybe ;) haha. Thank you for your review.

 **AprilStar2169:** I'll do my best to finish this story as best as I can, I promise you :). Aww you have faith in me? I can't let you down! Thank you.

 **MetallicalyLove:** Wazzzzuuup?! How could I NOT add Quidditch? Haha. Thank you for your review, you're awesome :)

 **Ash141:** I can't wait for Bloss and Brick to meet too. Haha. I'm still trying to decide how to do it. Anyway, I'll try my best to make it as interesting as I can. Thank you for your review. Much love :)

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 _ **Chapter Four:** All Types Of Teachers_

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"Blossom? Blossom?" The teacher's voice pulled her out of her daydream.

"Here?" She knew there was no way to hide that she hadn't been paying attention. Around her, the class erupted into laughter.

"Yes, Blossom, we established that earlier. Now, can you tell me one quote from Shakespeare's Othello?"

"Um..."

Before she got any further, he moved on to another student who promptly responded with something about a green eyed monster.

It occured to Blossom that she could actually flunk out of Alton without much effort. The school had this crazy schedule plan. Two hours of the day were spent on academics, where she would have to learn either Advanced Math and university level Literature or World History and the sciences. Her timetable alternated every week. According to what the principal had told her parents, this was an innovative program that allowed the students to study in intense bursts while leaving them plenty of time to work on their 'craft'.

A craft? Whoever heard of a performing art being a craft?

Blossom's first opportunity to practice her 'craft' came during second period. When enrolling into the school, The principal, Dr. Richard, had asked her if should would like to study violin and play like her father, to which she replied: "Dr. Richard, no one can play like my father." That much was true. Mr. Utonium had earned his right to be world-renowned. Dr. Richard had nodded at what he perceived was a daughter's pride.

He had then proceeded to check her file again. "You played soccer at your old school?"

She nodded, not really sure what that had to do with anything. As far as she knew, Alton Academy didn't offer any sports programs.

"Well, then the dance program should suit you well. Think of it as playing soccer to music."

She had thought of making some witty retort, but her mother caught her and the comment died in her head.

And that was how she had found herself enrolled into dance.

Juniors in the dance program took classes together, so she followed the others into the large dance studio. The teacher assigned her to a locker, and left her to change. The other girls all started changing into pink pantyhose and black swimsuits. Blossom felt a bit stupid standing there, the only one not changing. Some of the girls noticed her standing there, still wearing her uniform, and started whispering and snickering. Annoyed, she walked out to the studio.

A rather stern-looking woman was standing by the stereo, shuffling through some CDs. Blossom's school shoes squeaked on the polished hardwood floor, and she turned, scowling at her, "No school shoes in the studio!"

"Um.." Blossom looked down at her shoes.

The woman sighed heavily as she slammed the CDs onto a shelf below the stereo. "Remove your shoes. We only wear dance shoes in this studio."

Oh, Blossom thought as she kicked off the shoes and placed near the wall.

"Your shoes, and your uniform go in your locker. Why aren't you changing with the others?"

Slightly frustrated, she explained, "I didn't know we were supposed to bring other clothes."

The teacher walked up to her and circled her like a hawk. "Are you in the wrong class, perhaps?" The hopeful tone of her voice made Blossom want to scream, but she really didn't need it getting back to her father that she was already causing trouble.

"I'm here for the Junior's Dance class." Maybe if she answered in short sentences, she'd manage not to tell this woman how she felt.

"Hmmm..." The teacher walked back over to the stereo, "Well, you obviously haven't studied dance before."

"I didn't know it required studying, ma'am." She didn't realize how much sarcasm leaked into her response until the woman turned around, anger apparent on her taut face.

"Well, we simply don't have time to bring you up to the level of the other girls."

"But we'll do everything we can to help you get there." Blossom turned at the new voice, a warm lilting tone. The woman quickly made her way across the studio and extended her hand, "Are you Blossom?"

"Yes," she responded.

The newcomer nodded. "I'm Ms. Keane. Dr. Richard said we would have a new dancer. Did your parents not get my email?"

"You sent my parents an email?"

"Oh, dear. I was afraid it hadn't gone through. I sent them an email with a list of things you would need for class. I'll see if I can find it and print it out for you."

Someone had tried to make sure she wouldn't be standing here embarrassed? Someone who didn't even know her? Somehow, Alton brightened just a little bit.

Ms. Keane vanished through a door next to the stereo and returned with a box. "Dig through here and see if any of those fit you. You can borrow them until you get your own. And I'm afraid you'll have to dance in what you're wearing for the day."

The box was full of what looked like pink leather slippers, although they were more tapered than any slippers she'd ever owned. "Um, excuse me," both teachers turned from their conversation, "How do I know which ones are right shoes and which are left shoes?"

"It doesn't matter, Blossom. Just find two that fit." It was a strange bit of advice, but soon she had a pair of odd pink leather slippers on her feet. She liked the way they molded to her feet. They felt weird and cool all at the same time. Blossom ran across the studio in them, receving more glares from her still-unnamed teacher. She spun around. She tried playing imaginary soccer in them. These were quite possibly more fun than her soccer cleats.

From what the first teacher had said, Blossom suspected she the only person in the room who had never studied any type of dance. As the other girls walked in and lined themselves up at the wooden bars that hung at just below shoulder level around the room, she joined them. Some of the girls warmed up, so she followed them. Blossom was used to warming up before soccer, but couldn't figure out why she had to stretch and limber up before dancing.

Once everyone was in class, Ms. Keane called the students to the center of the room. Nearly every single one of Blossom's classmates sat down gracefully; She just plopped. That was when she noticed the mirrors lining the wall behind Ms. Keane. Sitting there sprawled out in her uniform, she really looked like she didn't belong in this room full of princesses. She eyed the door briefly, but Ms. Keane started speaking.

"Good morning, ladies." They all acknowledged her in some way, many of the girls respoding in unison. Ms. Keane smiled. "In preparation for the Alton All-stars audition, Alton Academy's prestigious dance troupe, you're all getting a special treat this class."

Some of the students started whispering excitedly among themselves. Blossom just sat there wondering where they had such a lame name.

The students were then asked to move to one of the walls next to the mirrors.

For the next half hour, they watched as the veteran dancers performed for them. There was a soft, graceful ballet. There was a piece that looked more like the dancers were flailing helplessly about, occasionally flailing in a pattern. There was an energetic tap dance number that Blossom really liked. Finally, the dancers finished, and the students applauded.

Ms. Keane then asked the veterans to move to different spots in the room, and the students were divided up among them. Blossom ended up with a serious looking blonde ballerina and a smiling dark-haired tap dancer. Once they were all sorted into groups with the veterans, Ms. Keane announced that these were their "audition pods", the groups they would be learning and practicing the audition pieces with.

Looking at her group, Blossom felt very sorry for them. They would all be like the veterans, elegant and knowing what to do. She would be the one in the back hoping she didn't hit somebody with one of those kicks or jumps.

Ms. Keane dismissed the students for the day, handing Blossom a piece of paper as she grabbed her school shoes. "I've included the name and address of a shop that knows what we prefer here, and they'll be happy to help you find everything you need." Blossom thanked her and retrieved her backpack from her locker. The paper was shoved in and forgotten.

: :

Blossom made her way to the huge theatre hall. All Alton students had to major in one track and minor in another. She had selected Technical Theatre as her minor track. If she'd realized what it was sooner, she would have picked it for her major. She loved the idea of being able to study some performing thing that didn't actually require her to perform! It was perfect! That, and Mr. Honeycutt was easy on the eyes too. Though she would never admit that out loud.

Having met Mitch last night, Blossom was glad to have a friend in her class. He made it his personal mission to get her to laugh, and she was glad she had more than enough self control to last as long as she had. 10 minutes. She burst out into laughter, earning a few stares from a few people around them. Mitch smirked and Blossom smiled.

The students presented their acting pieces and Blossom watched in awe as one pair improvised an entire scene at Mr. Honeycutt's command.

After a while, Mr. Honeycutt dismissed the class, except for Blossom, who had to be brought up to speed. She waved goodbye to Mitch and headed down to her teacher who was seated on the stage, his long legs dangling off it.

"Blossom, you actually don't have much to catch up on. We haven't really started the heavy stuff, but..." He looked down at the pile of papers at his side. He handed her one of them. "... To help you, you should probably do this."

She looked down at the paper in her hand.

 _"What makes a great actor?"_

She looked up, confused.

"Just answer that in a paragraph by the next class." Mr. Honeycutt got off the stage, grabbed his papers, and heading for the door at the back of the class. He turned to Blossom before stepping out.

"Has anyone..." He started, a grin beginning to form, "Has anyone ever told you that you have an _interesting_ laugh?"

: :

At the end of the day, Blossom headed across campus to her father's office. As she walked in, a familiar face brushed past her. It was the brunette from dance class. She smiled at her and called back to Blossom's father, "See you tomorrow, Mr. Utonium."

"All right, Samantha. Work on your audition piece." The girl vanished down the hallway, and Blossom walked into the office and sank into the nearest chair.

Her father finished loosening his tie and turned to her. "How was your second day, kiddo?"

"I've had better."

The view out of the office window was very pretty. An old oak tree was starting to change color right outside the window.

Her father studied her for a few moments. "Yes, I guess it would be difficult. This isn't anything like the schools you've gone to before."

"Not really." Remembering the morning, she fished a crumpled piece of paper out of her backpack. "I have to get some stuff for class tomorrow."

"We'll head out in a few minutes." He smiled.

Watching her father, any thought she had of getting out of Alton quickly flitted out the window.

 **~End Of Chapter~**

* * *

 **R &R!**

 **T.C**


	5. An Ally Emerges

_Okay, so this chapter is long overdue and I'm so sorry. I don't even have a legitimate excuse for not writing. Forgive me?_

 _Anyway, there's something important I need to tell you: Butch, Boomer and Bubbles will NOT be in this story. I'm sorry to everyone who wanted to see these characters in this story, I really am. But all I can say is... You just have to wait and see ;)_

 _On with the story!_

* * *

 _ **Chapter Five:** An Ally Emerges_

* * *

: :

"On May 22, 1960, the most powerful earthquake ever recorded- with a magnitude of 9.5- occurred in what country?"

The teacher waited patiently for an answer as the class stared back at him. Luckily, though, a beautiful Kenny G song played through the speakers signaling class was over.

Grabbing her stuff quickly, Blossom headed to the locker room. Putting on ballet clothes was more challenging than she could have expected. Once she had pulled the tights out of their package, she discovered they were harder to put on than normal pantyhose. They were stiff, and there were holes in the feet. She finally convinced the tights to stay over her toes long enough to put on her ballet slippers. She immediately noticed that these were not as comfortable as the ones she borrowed yesterday. She quickly realized, though, that to make them comfortable she would have to wear them. As the leather squished her toes, she hoped it wouldn't take long. Then Blossom pulled on the leotard, which was probably the softest, most comfortable swimsuit-styled piece of clothing she'd ever owned. The whole outfit made her feel somewhat naked. Everything wore like a second skin.

She began to pull her long hair up onto her head like she had seen the other girls in her class do the day before. She'd never had to wear it in anything more than a ponytail or braid before, and it turned out trying to force your hair into a little round coil was not as easy as it looked. She fought with it for several minutes.

"Well, what have we here?" She looked in the mirror. A girl with a lot of makeup on was watching Blossom wrestle with her hair. "So, the rumor is you're here on scholarship." There was no point in trying to keep secrets in a small school, so Blossom nodded as she tried to make her hair stay up. "I wonder what kind of scholarship that is. The rumor is that you can't dance." The newcomer smiled smugly at Blossom, as if trying to make her even more self-conscious about the bad luck that had recently taken over her life. "Oh, I know! You're here under the Daddy's Little Princess Scholarship."

"The what?" If this girl only knew. Blossom had barely seen her father in the past couple of years.

"The only reason you're here is because your father is famous."

Blossom smiled sweetly, "Actually, it's because my father teaches here."

That stopped the girl cold. She walked over to the counter where Blossom's hair pins rested in a tiny clear box she had dumped them in last night, and swept the box off the table in an unexpectedly elegant move. "Don't worry, dear. I'll show you what it means to deserve to be here. Come audition time, I'll dance circles around you. Watch carefully; you may learn a thing or two."

"Oh, I'm sure," Blossom muttered under her breath.

The girl glided out of the room as gracefully as she could, which wasn't all that impressive. Blossom knelt down and picked up her hair pins.

Thanks to her 'friend' and her out of control hair, Blossom was several minutes late to class. Everyone was already broken out into groups. The brunette leader for her group waved her over, "Come on, Blossom. You're just in time!" The other girls whispered among themselves as she hid herself in the back of her pod.

"Do not believe, Miss Utonium, that the fact that your father is a professor here will keep you out of trouble for being late to class." Naturally, Blossom couldn't make it in without being noticed by the scary teacher. She made her disapproval clear as she walked past her group. A laugh to Blossom's left alerted her to the disheartening realization that she was in the same group as her tormentor.

The other girl who was leading the group joined the brunette, and they silenced their little group.

"All right," the brunette girl motioned for them to gather in close, "My name is Samantha, and this is Nicole. We'll be your pod leaders during this audition period. You'll learn the dances with your pod. You'll practice with your pod. You'll audition with your pod. Got it?"

Great, now Blossom was a pod person, as if she didn't have enough problems at Alton already.

Samantha continued, "We're going to move at a fast pace, so let me know if you need to see something again and try to keep up." Nicole moved behind the group as Samantha told them to spread out. She faced away from the group and called out directions over her shoulder. It would have been fine if her directions were in English, but it was a language Blossom had never heard before. Fortunately, after she called out each direction, she moved. Assuming the move was the important part, Blossom copied what she did.

Once she'd led the students through several of these moves, she made them repeat all the moves in a sequence. The students did as they were told several times while Samantha clapped out a rhythm. Behind them, Nicole called out people for things they weren't doing right. Blossom's name rang out over the group a couple of times, but nowhere near as many times as Princess'.

Blossom now had the name of the enemy. She felt a certain bit of power.

Samantha continued to teach until the students had a sequence that took a few minutes to complete. It was easier than soccer in many ways, Blossom noticed. Far easier than she expected.

The group learned another dance during that class hour, too. It was definitely more complicated, but Blossom had a lot of fun trying to follow Samantha and her clapping. It was one big game of Follow the Leader, occasionally set to music.

As they continued to run through both dances, Princess slowly moved closer to Blossom's spot in the back of the pod. Before Blossom even realized it, Princess had hit her. But Blossom had played soccer most of her life- a little roughhousing during a game was no big deal. She shrugged it off as an accident and continued practicing. The hit was followed by a kick, another hit, and then a back hand that landed on my bare arm with a loud snap.

"Princess, one more of those, and I'll have you pulled from this audition." Nicole's voice rang out from behind the two girls.

"You don't have the authority," Princess retorted smugly. Nicole didn't respond, but the look on her face would've sent even the scariest thugs running for cover. Princess moved farther away from Blossom, and didn't come in contact with her the rest of the hour.

When class was finally over, Princess confidently walked up to Blossom, "If you get me kicked out of this audition, I _will_ make your life miserable." She blew past Blossom and into the locker room.

"Looks like you're taking care of that one already." Blossom muttered, rolling her eyes.

: :

By the time she had changed back into her uniform, Blossom was so sore she could barely lift her backpack. She couldn't figure out how her classmates were bouncing around and chatting so excitedly. Blossom dragged herself to the cafeteria and grabbed a sandwich. Still being the new kid, she tried her hardest to find some nice, out of the way table to hide at.

As she surveyed the room, she noticed a girl at BC's table staring at her. Blossom shrugged it off and looked away, pretending like she hadn't noticed.

She soon found an empty table toward the edge of the room. She set down her tray and dropped into the chair like a heavy weight.

Nearly halfway through her sandwich, Samantha sat down next to her. Thinking she'd landed herself at a claimed table, Blossom mumbled an apology and started to leave, but Samantha asked her to stay. Nervous, she resettled her tray and nibbled at her apple.

"So, what are you doing after school?" Her bright green eyes sparkled with a friendly mischief.

"Well, I have to work on an assignment, and then I thought I might go and drown myself."

"Well, scratch that! You're coming to the pink studio after school!"

"What?" Blossom was certain she hadn't heard her correctly.

"We're going to help you get into the All-stars, but you need to meet us after school!"

"Us?" It could be memories of her run-in with Princess that morning, but Blossom had this image of being cornered by Samantha's mysterious 'us' in a studio and having the stuffing knocked out of her.

"Yeah, Nicole and I are going to work with you!"

"Is this just because of who my dad is?"

Samantha laughed. It was the warmest sound Blossom had ever heard. "No, silly! We just think you'd have fun! You were really getting into the dances this morning, and we want you to be able to do them really well!"

"As opposed to doing them like a Neanderthal?"

Blowing her dark brown bangs out of her face, Samantha looked Blossom square in the eyes. "Just be there, okay?"

"I don't know. I usually go to see my dad after school..."

"I'll tell him you're coming with me. It won't be a problem!" She was so sure of herself.

"Do you ever not get your way?" Blossom was pretty sure she knew the answer.

"Sometimes," Samantha admitted stabbing some poor, defenseless lettuce.

Blossom wasn't sure whether to laugh or be afraid.

 **~End Of Chapter~**

* * *

 **Sorry for the long wait. I know this chapter was a bit short, but I didn't want to add more info into it.**

 **Hopefully, Brick will appear in the next chapter and then the plot can really get going :)**

 **Love always,**

 **T.C**


	6. The Heartbreak Kid

_Mustard on the beat ho!_

* * *

 _ **Chapter Six:** The Heartbreak Kid_

* * *

: :

"Y'know, this place isn't so bad," Blossom remarked. "Didn't think I'd last here long."

"Well, you haven't blown anything up or killed anyone yet, so that's probably part of it," Mitch teased, taking a swig from his can of Coke. The three friends were eating lunch under the bleachers, shielding themselves from the merciless sun.

Blossom smacked him lightly. "I've never done such a thing." She found herself smiling when she saw a red hand print start to form on Mitch's bare arm.

"I still can't believe BC hasn't tried to make your life a living hell," Jett said, shaking her head slightly. Blossom shrugged, taking a bite out of her sandwich.

"She knows I can take her, so she won't bother. Besides, she knows she'd be wasting her time messing with me."

BC hadn't spoken a word to Blossom since the day they'd met. They didn't have any classes together, and neither girl spent much time inside the Noctua dorm. They pretty much avoided each other altogether. Fortunately for Jett, BC had been avoiding her too.

Mitch was silent for a few seconds, before clapping his hands suddenly.

"We should do something tonight. It's Friday, and Blossom's made it an entire week without getting expelled. I think that's cause for celebration."

Jett rolled her eyes. "Mitch, you'd consider _burping_ a cause for celebration."

"Alright, you got me. I'm a party animal, a wild, devilishly handsome, untamed beast that-"

"And modest, too," Blossom cut in. Mitch grinned. "But it is Friday, so why not? What do you guys do for fun around here?"

"I was thinking _The Nightlife._ "

Jett groaned.

"Mitch, you know I hate that place!"

"What's The Nightlife?" Blossom asked curiously.

Mitch answered her. "It's a club of sorts that they have every Friday and Saturday night in the cafeteria. Nobody ever eats in the cafeteria, so they don't have to worry about cleaning up food or crap like that. They just push the tables and stuff out of the way and set up a bar. Sodas and stuff, of course, not alcohol. The tech kids rig up some lights and a wicked sound system, and bam: The Nightlife is born."

"It's loud and crowded and the strobe lights mess with my head, and everyone is grinding-"

"Yes, Jett, _grinding_. The way normal teenagers dance." Mitch said slowly, as if talking to a young child.

"It's not dancing, it's- it's disgusting!"

"I'm gonna have to side with Jett on this one," Blossom said.

"Really? You seemed like…. Well, I mean, I thought-" Mitch stammered in shock.

"That I was the let-horny-guys-press-their-man-parts-against-my-ass-even-though-we're-all-wearing-clothes type?" Blossom raised an eyebrow.

"No! No, I just meant- I wasn't trying to say- I-" Mitch sputtered. It took him a moment to realize she was kidding. He shook his head slowly and laughed in admiration.

"Well played, well played."

Blossom shrugged with a smile. "I try. So, what else you got?"

"We could watch a movie," Jett suggested and Mitch nodded.

"That could work. Most of the guys in my dorm will be at The Nightlife, so we could probably have the rec room to ourselves."

"Sounds like a plan," Blossom smiled.

: :

Jett and Blossom walked down the hall together, weaving through the mob of kids. Once they were all outside, the pack thinned out.

"So, you ready for your date with Mitch tonight?" Blossom asked Jett, nudging her with her elbow.

Jett blushed furiously. "It's not a date! We hang out all the time. Besides, you'll be there."

"I'm cool with being the third wheel."

"No, 'cause in order for you to be the third wheel, we'd have to be together. On a date. And he'd have to actually like me."

Silence ensued for a few moments.

"So this Anita girl, she's BC's sister?"

"Yes."

"Is she in our dorm?"

"Yes, but she's usually out and about."

"Are she and BC close?"

"Sorta. BC's a year older, so she's very protective of her. But they get along well enough."

"And do either of them know about Mitch?"

"No."

Jett's answers were strained and mostly mono-syllabic, and Blossom could tell she didn't really want to talk about the girl who held Mitch's heart.

"What's she like?"

Jett sighed.

"That's just it. She's pretty, popular, gets along with everyone, cheerful, easy-going… She's one of the most chilled people I know. It would be so much easier to hate her if she was a bitch, but she's not."

"Well what are the chances of them actually getting together? She sounds like she's a little outta his league," Blossom offered, trying to cheer her friend up.

Jett tensed suddenly.

"Apparently quite good," she said. She tried to keep her face devoid of emotion, but there was a note of pain in both her eyes and voice. Blossom followed her gaze. A little way up the stone path, Mitch was leaning against a lamppost. He was flirting with a jet black-haired girl, and they were both laughing. Blossom turned back to Jett.

"Jett…"

"No, it's-it's fine. He… good for him. He's only spent the past year trying to work up the courage to talk to her. Good for him." She continued walking up the path, head bent slightly. Blossom watched her go; Jett would want some time to herself. She watched as Jett walked right past Mitch, hesitating for a fraction of a second before continuing on her way.

And she watched as Mitch didn't even notice.

: :

"…And she laughed at all my jokes, and she said we should hang out sometime!" Mitch beamed.

"Yes, Mitch. You've said so _eight_ times already," Jett said tiredly. Her elbow was propped up on the arm of the couch in the Ursidae dorm, and her head rested in her hand.

"Hey, you're my best friend! You should be proud of me, encouraging me!"

"I am, Mitch. Really, congratulations. But the next time you tell us the exact same story, I _will_ hit you."

Blossom had to agree with her.

"She's not wrong. We're thrilled for you. At least, we _were_. The first two times you told us. By the seventh and eight, the feeling starts to fade. And by 'fade', I mean completely disappear."

Mitch stuck his tongue out at her. "You're just jealous."

Blossom raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I'm jealous? Of what, pray tell?"

"That I've got a girlfriend and you guys are still single."

"Yeah, I've been at this school for five days, I don't like anyone and have no interest in being in a relationship, and I'm jealous of you. Of course," she replied sarcastically.

"Mitch, you talked to her once, for twenty minutes. But yeah, it's just like she's your girlfriend. Expect without the hugging, kissing, actually dating, or her knowing about it." Jett pointed out.

Mitch scowled. "C'mon, you're supposed to be my friends."

Jett sighed.

"Alright, fine. Anita would be good for you. I'm very happy for you and I hope you'll invite me to your wedding. Happy?"

"I'm gonna overlook the sarcasm in that statement-"

"Look, can we just start the movie already?" Blossom asked, exasperated.

"Not quite yet," Mitch said. He tried, unsuccessfully, to conceal the huge smile that lit up his face. Both girls' eyes widened in alarm.

"Mitch, what did you-" Blossom began, suspicious of what the boy might've done. She was cut off by a knock at the door. Mitch bounded down the stairs before Jett or Blossom had time to even register the sound. They looked at each other, both apprehensive of what they were about to face. Knowing Mitch, it could be anything from a clown to a terrorist. They heard the door open and close a few moments later, and they heard two pairs of footsteps come back up the stairs. Mitch stepped back into the room first.

"Jett, Blossom, we've got some more company tonight. Blossom, I'd like you to meet Anita. Anita, Blossom."

Anita stepped into the room and smiled pleasantly at Blossom. Her slightly wavy, jet black hair fell just above her shoulders. A few strands were pinned back with a bobby pin. Her eyes were the same exotic green as BC's.

"Nice to meet you, Blossom."

"Nice to meet you too," Blossom said, slightly taken aback. She shot a glance at Mitch. He'd invited Anita over without telling them? Oh, God, what about Jett? She looked over her shoulder at her friend. Jett looked stricken, but quickly covered it up. She stood up and smiled at Anita. It seemed genuine enough, but Blossom, who knew better, could see that the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Hey, Anita."

"Oh, hi Jett!"

"I'm going to go to the bathroom real quick. You guys can go ahead and start the movie."

"That's okay, we can wait," Anita said cheerfully. Jett opened her mouth and hesitated, but said nothing. She just gave a small nod and left the room.

"So, Blossom, you've been here a week?"

"Yeah, I got here Monday."

"How do you like it so far?"

"It's one of the better schools I've been to."

"And she hasn't blown anything up, so that's a good sign," Mitch added.

" _Yet_." Blossom said mischievously.

Anita laughed. "Yeah, that's a good thing. You're in the Noctua house, right?"

"Yep. I had a small run-in with your sister my first day here."

Mitch's eyes flashed in alarm. The message in them was easy to read; Don't you _dare_ say anything bad about BC in front of Anita.

Anita smiled apologetically. "I heard. I should apologize on her behalf. She's not exactly social. Or friendly. Or kind in any way."

"Nah, it's fine. I've met worse."

Mitch clapped his hands together. "Well, how 'bout we start the movie?"

"But Jett's not back yet," Anita said.

"Oh, she won't mind. She doesn't really care for the beginning of a movie." He bowed dramatically and gestured toward the couch.

"After you, m'lady."

Anita, playing along, curtsied. "Why thank you, good sir." She sat down on the end of the couch, and Mitch, grinning like an idiot, sat beside her. Blossom sat next to him, leaving room next to her for Jett.

Jett looked sorrowfully at her reflection in the mirror.

"You know he would never want you. It's no surprise," she said softly to herself. "You're his best friend, and that's all you'll ever be. Get used to it. She's everything you're not, and he's wonderful. No wonder she's interested in him. You might as well get over him, 'cause you don't stand a chance." She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. After a few moments, she had regained her composure sufficiently enough to leave the room, joining her friends on the couch. She sat at the end, next to Blossom.

Mitch and Anita barely recognized her presence.

 **~End Of Chapter~**

* * *

 **Late update, I know. Hope you liked it and is it weird that I gave myself the biggest pat on my back for using the title I did for this chapter? Naaaaaaah!**

 **BTW Anita's an OC!**

 **And I'm sorry if you expected Brick to be the HBK. Maybe he'll pop up in the next chapter?**

 **R &R!**

 **T.C**


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